Chapter 26
AT THE SUB, Stilwell ran down an address for Gwen Bassett.
She apparently had no California driver’s license and was not in the DMV database, but her name came up in several crime reports because she was routinely listed as the complaining party at the Buffalo Nickel when deputies were summoned to deal with bar fights and other unruly behavior by patrons.
The Nickel, located out by the desalination plant, was mostly a locals’ bar.
It served working-class drinkers who on occasion acted out to the extent that deputies were called in to restore order, if not make arrests.
Though the address of the bar was always listed as the location of the call, Bassett’s home address was on most of the reports because she was a witness to the alleged offenses and might need to be contacted for follow-up investigations.
According to the reports, Bassett lived in Bird Park, an apartment complex in lower Avalon Canyon.
It was an affordable location for Catalina service workers, and Stilwell assumed that Bassett had qualified for the housing discount if she had, as Middleton told him, been living and working on the island for twelve years.
Stilwell had been up to Bird Park on various minor calls and was familiar with the layout.
It was a complex of two-story town houses and single-level apartments with a community pool and a playground.
It was well maintained and possibly the most desirable of the subsidized housing complexes on the island.
Its management team had always been cooperative with Stilwell and his deputies.
Stilwell knew that its isolated location in the canyon made it a difficult place to surveil without being noticed.
Bassett’s unit—where Kent Middleton also lived—was 208, which meant building two, apartment eight.
Stilwell believed it was an end unit, which added to the difficulties of surveillance because there were three sides of the structure to cover.
He was tempted to make a casual drive through the complex on his way home, but if Middleton saw him on the same day they had talked, he was unlikely to take it as a coincidence.
Once he had established where Middleton was living, Stilwell called Ballard and filled her in on his activities.
“This is amazing,” she said.
“What is?” Stilwell asked.
“That you’re having conversations with a suspected serial killer.
I mean, I know it happens in the movies, but in real life, who does that?
The FBI never has. They interview all kinds of killers after the arrests, but who talks to a serial killer while he’s still active and thinks he’s got the whole world fooled?
This is an amazing opportunity. Not that we’re going to let the guy run loose, but you know what I mean. ”
“We still need to prove he’s a serial killer. And I should tell you, he’s planning to leave the island. He told me he’s applied to the state. Wants to be a ranger at the state park in Malibu if he gets his choice.”
“That’s the location of one of our cases. Alicia Reynoso disappeared in 2011 while hiking in the Malibu state recreation area. He wants to be close to her now.”
“Yeah, I was thinking that when he told me. You know, I also think he was playing me.”
“You mean he knows you’re onto him?”
“No, I don’t think so. It was as if he liked dropping these hints. That he gets off on it.”
“It’s the I’m-smarter-than-you complex. Most serials have it. It’s the fulfillment of hiding in plain sight. See, this is what I mean. Most of this stuff comes out after a serial is caught. All these pieces of the puzzle come together. But here, we’re getting some of the pieces in real time.”
“It still doesn’t explain why he changed from being a guy who literally buried everything four feet deep to a guy who wants to lead us to his kills.”
“He’s clearly changed, but I don’t think it will ever be fully explained. He’s evolving. Before, it was about not getting caught. Now he seems to want to brag about not being caught and being smarter than us.”
“So how do we take him down?”
“That’s the question.”
“Watching him out here is going to be tough. It’s a small town where everybody seems to know everybody.
I don’t know if this was a strategic move on his part, but he’s living with a woman in an apartment complex that’s isolated and hard to surveil.
He works in a remote location as well. He either lucked into this or he is an off-the-charts planner. ”
“I’m thinking the latter. But we need to figure this out fast. I’m going to come over there tomorrow and bring some people. We have to start watching this guy. It’s too dangerous not to. When can we get together?”
“Name a time. I’m just not sure we should meet here or involve any of my deputies. It could leak.”
“Agreed. You figure out a location and we’ll be there. If we stay over, where should we stay?”
“The Ratwater.”
“What?”
“Sorry, old nickname. The Atwater is right in the middle of town. It’s very nice. You can walk to everything and it’s less than a block from here. There are nice places up the mountain too, but you need a cart to get to and from them.”
“The Ratwater sounds good.”
“Don’t call it that if you call to make a reservation.”
“I won’t. I’ll also check Airbnb.”
“Okay, let me know when you’re coming.”
He disconnected. Ballard’s mention of Airbnb gave Stilwell an idea.
He opened a desk drawer and took out the rubber-banded stack of business cards he had been collecting since his posting to the island two years earlier.
He shuffled through the cards until he came to Lukas Hernandez.
He was the manager of the Bird Park apartment complex.
He was also related to one of the island’s old families, the one that had built and owned the complex.
Stilwell flipped the card over and saw the personal cell number he had written down when he was looking for a place to live on the island.
He knew the call would be a long shot, as Bird Park was in high demand because of its location and price, but he was hoping there would be a short-term opening between tenants.
Hernandez answered his call and Stilwell identified himself.
“Lukas, I wanted to see if you happen to have any short-term vacancies at Bird Park.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Things didn’t work out with Tash?”
Once again, everybody seemed to know everybody’s business. If Stilwell didn’t set Hernandez straight, word would spread like wildfire that he and Tash had split up. Tash had had many suitors on the island, including Hernandez, before Stilwell came along.
“No, it’s not for me,” he said quickly. “Tash and I are fine. I’m looking for a temporary place to put some friends.”
“How temporary are we talking?” Hernandez asked.
“A couple weeks, max, I think.”
“Sounds like you need it furnished.”
“That would be good.”
“How many bedrooms?”
“Two, but they’d take anything.”
“Let me call you right back. I want to check something.”
“Sure, you’ve got my number. And Lukas, I want to keep this confidential. Don’t tell anyone that it’s coming from me.”
“Wait a minute—are these people witnesses or something? Are they in danger or dangerous?”
“No, no, they’re cops and they don’t want people to know their business.”
“Okay, got it. I’ll call you back in ten.”
While Stilwell waited for Lukas to call back, he went into the squad room to look at the deployment screen.
While riding with Middleton, he had noted the unit number painted on the 4Runner he was driving.
He assumed the vehicle was assigned to him and that Middleton would now be trackable when on duty across the island.
He also knew there were qualifiers to that assumption.
Locating the vehicle did not necessarily mean Middleton was in it or even near it, and it could be used by a different ranger following a shift change.
His 4Runner was unit five. Stilwell quickly located it at Hermit Gulch, where he knew there was a small ranger outpost. What he didn’t know was whether Middleton was still on duty.
Stilwell’s phone buzzed—Hernandez calling back.
“You’re in luck,” he said. “We had a move-out and the new tenant doesn’t come in until the first of the month. That gives you a couple weeks. Is that good?”
“Yes, really good,” Stilwell said. “How big is it?”
“It’s a two. And it’s furnished. Moderately. Beds, couches, but no kitchenware. They’ll have to bring pots and pans, knives and forks, all that stuff.”
“Got it. What’s the cost?”
“You said they’re cops, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I’ll eat it. We want to cooperate with whatever this is.”
“You’re the man, Lukas. How soon can they get in there?”
“It’s empty right now.”
“Which unit is it?”
“Building one, unit three. Two-bedroom town house.”
Building one was across a parking area from building two. The apartment would have a direct view of Gwen Bassett’s front door.
“Okay, perfect,” Stilwell said. “Can I firm everything up and call you first thing tomorrow?”
“Of course,” Hernandez said.
“And remember, you have to keep who they are and what they do between us.”
“Got it. Not a problem.”
“Thank you, Lukas, and sorry about Tash.”
“What do you mean?”
“That she’s still off the market.”
Hernandez laughed as he disconnected.
Stilwell immediately called Ballard back and told her he had found a place where her team could stay and keep eyes on Middleton at the same time.
“Perfect,” Ballard said. “We’ll be coming out on the first boat tomorrow.”
“Who is we?”
“Me, Laffont, and Paul Masser.”
“I’ll meet you at the dock.”